


Gifted

by Hyx_Sydin



Series: Trope Bingo [23]
Category: Eureka (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 10:27:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15337905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyx_Sydin/pseuds/Hyx_Sydin
Summary: Nathan discovers Jack's secret. No, the other one. Both actually.





	Gifted

**Author's Note:**

> So this is set in Season 5, before Episode 8 'In Too Deep'.
> 
> Written for:  
> 1) Round 23 of Small Fandom Fest on [DW](https://smallfandomfest.dreamwidth.org/) for the prompt: Eureka, Jack/Nathan, Jack is still the same average Jack we all know and love, but he has a secret skill he's really good at. Dancing, drawing, writing, contortionist or anything the author can think of that isn't science in nature. Nathan finds out somehow, either by himself or during something that ends up outing Jack's skill to all of Eureka. Nathan finds it turns him on far more than it really should.
> 
> 2) My Trope Bingo Round 11 square: _Against All Odds_.

Nathan stared into the darkness surrounding him for a moment before extending his arms out in front of him, encountering nothing. He was still deciding on whether it was safe to call out or not, when the lights slowly came on.

“Welcome back Doctor Stark!” S.A.R.A.H. exclaimed happily, continuing to speak before he could even think of a reply. “This is so exciting! When Doctor Fargo first mentioned his doubts about your death via erasure from time, everyone was sceptical. Even I was. But then I ran the numbers and there was a significant enough chance that you were still alive, that I offered Doctor Fargo my assistance in saving you. Of course then we had to break several laws in order to put our plan into action, but with Andy’s help we were able to pull everything off without even the Sheriff finding out about it. Although I’m sure he will be too pleased to learn that he was not in fact the cause of your death, to be angry with us. And then of course you’ll get to meet Jen- Oh! I probably shouldn’t say anything.”

While the AI had rambled, Nathan had taken a quick look around the room to ascertain that it was indeed empty before making his way to the door, which was locked. “S.A.R.A.H., could you please unlock the door?”

“Of course Doctor Stark!” 

Nathan felt a sharp pain in the palm of his hand where it rested around the door handle even as he heard it unlock. “S.A.R.A.H.?”

“I merely wish to have documented proof that you really are Doctor Nathan Stark, in case anyone asks.” 

“And am I?” He asked as he stepped out into a long corridor that featured the same grey walls as the room he had just left and led off into darkness in either direction.

The AI was quiet for a moment, likely running tests on the blood sample she’d taken from him. Her next question threw him, and for a moment his thoughts were blank. “What is the last thing that you remember Doctor Stark?” 

“Jack was injured.” He said slowly as things came to him. “Time was unstable and there was no guarantee that anything would survive another loop. Fargo and I worked on the problem together. He’d come a long way since Jack started as Sheriff; he even offered to be the one to resync time. I wasn’t burnt to a crisp?”

The passage to his right went dark whereas more lights came on to his left. “I will have the security footage of that day in the time maintenance room ready to play as soon as you’re inside the bunker Doctor Stark.”

Nathan nodded as he made his way to the left, taking it as a sign that he was the real Nathan Stark. “How long has it been S.A.R.A.H.?”

“It has been three years, eight months, two weeks and five days since you dematerialised.” The AI seemed to hesitate before she spoke again, “Doctor Stark?” 

“Yes S.A.R.A.H.?” Nathan found himself impressed once again at Fargo’s work in creating S.A.R.A.H., she sounded very much like a curious child about to ask a _Why_ question.

“What was it like?” She asked, trepidation in her voice. “Being . . . gone?”

There was a set of steps leading up to a door ahead of him, and Nathan found himself walking faster. “It didn’t feel like I was gone at all. One moment I was saying goodbye to Jack, and in the next I was here. I fully expected to die.” 

“Oh.” The door opened up into a supply closet, which opened up into the kitchen. “Are you hungry Doctor Stark?”

His last meal had been a simple breakfast of toast and coffee, almost four years ago, but he didn’t feel the need for food just yet. “No thank you S.A.R.A.H., I’d like to see that footage though.”

“Of course.” S.A.R.A.H. said as the television in the lounge area came on.

Nathan crossed the room, his eyes glued onto the paused image of the TIme Maintenance lab; he is staring at Weinbrenner’s formula, Fargo is checking the equipment and Jack and Allison are standing to one side talking. Once he would have been jealous of Jack and Allie spending any time together but now… Now? If he had not been erased from time, he’d be marrying Allie again right **now**. 

The sound of paper scrunching as he dropped down onto the sofa distracted him from his thoughts, looking down he realised he was sitting on several sheets of loose paper. As he moved over he picked up a sheet, fully expecting to find one of Jack’s half-finished reports, except it wasn’t. 

“S.A.R.A.H.?” He wasn’t sure what to ask because it was pretty self explanatory; every single sheet of paper contained a beautiful, detailed pencil sketch bearing the hastily scribbled initials J.C.

“Oh dear,” S.A.R.A.H. mumbled. “Doctor Stark, I’m going to have to ask you to put those away please.”

A drawer within the coffee table popped open, but instead of putting the ones he had stacked together in it, he withdrew even more sketches. A majority of them were of Eureka’s inhabitants going about their days; Jo cleaning a rather large gun, Vincent smiling wide as he served someone their food, Taggart chasing Lowjack through Copernicus Park, and so many others. There were also folders in the drawer; the first one he picked up contained sketches of Zoe, going as far back as her childhood years.

“Doctor Stark please,” S.A.R.A.H. implored but her words fell on deaf ears.

Setting that folder aside he picked up the rest and glanced into the next one; this one contained sketches of several different people, Jack’s family going by the resemblance. The next folder contained sketches of Allie, he set that one aside to look at last and was about to open the next one when suddenly the lights went out.

“Doctor Stark I cannot allow you to continue looking through Jack’s personal things! Please put everything back into the drawer, and never speak of this again.”

Nathan knew himself; he’d never be able to let this go, not now that he knew how talented Jack is. He couldn’t even fake a promise because the AI would be able to pick up on it. He wondered what was in this folder because she’d only taken direct action as he’d opened it, did Jack draw nudes as well? Before he could lose himself to that thought, another voice rang out.

“S.A.R.A.H. are you okay? Why’re the lights out? Do I need to get Fargo?” Jack, and he sounded like he’d been running.

“Jack!” S.A.R.A.H. cried out and the lights in the kitchen came on, allowing Nathan to see Jack step out of the very same closet he had. When she spoke again, the AI sounded hesitant, “There’s something I need to explain.”

Jack was staring at the kitchen’s ceiling, hands on his hips, and seemed S.A.R.A.H. distracted as well, so Nathan crept closer to the lights until he could see the contents of the folder he still held. It was definitely not what he expected, and a little of what he’d guessed; page after page contained sketches of him, Nathan Stark, and some of them were quite risque. “Oh.”

“S.A.R.A.H., am I hallucinating Nathan Stark again?” Nathan glanced up to find Jack staring at him, looking a bit pale.

“You’ve been hallucinating me Jack?” Nathan asked as he stepped fully into the kitchen, dropping the folder onto the counter. “Is that where the inspiration came from for some of these?”

Jack dragged his gaze away from Nathan to glance at the folder, his face suddenly flooded with colour as he realised what it was. “This is not happening,” the man muttered to himself as his gaze darted between Nathan and the open folder. “S.A.R.A.H. tell me this is not really happening. I crashed my car on the way to the bunker and I’m slowly dying and -” Jack broke off to giggle brokenly and then swayed.

Nathan darted forward and eased the other man to the ground, pushing on Jack’s head until they were between his knees. “That’s it Jack, just take deep breaths.” Nathan rubbed circles into Jack’s back as the other man sat and breathed.

“That’s... that’s not mine.” Jack mumbled softly. “I- I didn’t draw those."

Nathan could here the amusement and disbelief in his own voice as he said, “You’re the only J.C. in Eureka.”

“S.A.R.A.H.?” Jack implored.

“Of course Jack,” she said softly. “Something happened two years ago Doctor Stark, this is not our timeline’s original Jack. He cannot yet draw as the other Jack could.”

Nathan stared at the man beside him wondering what other differences there were between this Jack and the one he’d known. “What happened?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking that?” Jack demanded as he scrambled away from Nathan. “How are you here? And still dressed like that?”

Nathan looked down at his clothes; he was wearing the blue suit he’d put on that morning, the morning of his wedding to Allie. Looking up at Jack he was surprised at the pained look on the other man’s face.

“We didn’t tell you about it before because we didn’t want you to get your hopes up Jack.” S.A.R.A.H. said.

“Wait,” Nathan interrupted. “S.A.R.A.H. said yet. You can’t _yet_ draw the way the other you did.”

Jack ducked his head, “I’ve been practicing.”

“Good,” Nathan said, easing himself until he was comfortable on the ground. He made sure to catch the other man’s eye as he said, "Jack, I want you to draw me like one of your French girls."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for giving this a read! ♥ And I apologise for any errors.
> 
> I would love feedback, even if it's just to tell me to add a tag or up the rating ^_^


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